Menu-card holder



Se t. 8, 1925 M. w. BATTLE MENU CARD HOLDER Filed April 1924 IH A I".

QMenlIo a mm} M Eaffle Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES MARY W. BATTLE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

MENU-CARD HOLDER.

Application filed April 7, 1924. Serial No. 704,740.

.7 '0 all whom it may concern: v Be it known that I, MARY V. BATTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Menu- Card Holders; and I do declare the follow ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in menu card holders of the type disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 583,650, filed August 22, 1922, Patent 1,492,065, April 29, 192 1.

It is the object of this invention to produce a menu card holder, which shall be so constructed that the menu card can be conveniently and securely attached thereto and held in place thereon.

My present invention relates particularly to the means by which the locking bar is held in place so as to be conveniently operated.

My invention, briefly described, comprises a cover composed of two members hingedly connected. Secured to the hinge pin are two U-shaped members and hingedly connected to another member, also secured to the hinge pin near one end thereof, is a locking bar that can be swung downwardly into place between the parallel sides of the U-shaped members. The member to which the looking bar is pivoted, is slidable on the hinge pin and is acted upon by a spring, which moves it outwardly. The locking bar and the U-shaped members have cooperating interengaging locking portions that are brought into and out of locking engagement by a slight longitudinal movement of the locking bar.

In order better and more clearly to describe by invention, I shall have reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the same is illustrated, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing my improved menu card holder in partly open position;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 22, Fig. 1, and shows the locking bar in operative position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but with the locking bar shown in inoperative or partly open position; 4

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of one of the U- shaped members 5 Fig. 5 is a section thereof taken on line 55, Fig. 4:; and V Fig. 6 shows a slightly modified form of construction. 1

My holder comprises two side or cover members 1 and 2, each of which is provided with interengaging hinge portions 3 held in 0perative relation by means of a hinge pin 4. The end member 3 on one of the covers has been made narrower than the others so as to leave a considerable portion of the hinge pin exposed. This narrow member has been designated by the numeral 5 for the purpose of more definitely identifying it. Slidably mounted on the exposed portion of the hinge pin is a member 6 which is preferably U-shaped and which forms one abutment for the spring 7 whose other end abuts the adjacent part 3. Hinged at 8 between the sides of the member 6, is a locking bar 9. This bar can be moved about its pivot 8 into the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Members 10 are secured to the hinge pin at points spaced equidistantly from the ends of the cover. In the embodiment illustrated, members 10 have a notch 11 extending inwardly from one end, whilethe other end is provided with an opening 12 for the reception of the hinge pin. Each member is also provided with a cut 13, which enables the member to be deformed slightly in order that considerable friction will be developed between it and the hinge pin. One end of the slot 11 is countersunk near the bottom, as indicated by numeral 14. The locking bar has portions 15 and 16 of a reduced diameter, which permits them to be inserted into the slot 11. One end of each reduced portion is conical, as indicated by numeral 17. This conical portion is adapted to fit into and cooperate with the countersunk portion 1-l for the purpose of locking the bar inthe. position shown in Fig. 2.

Assuming that the parts arein the position shown in Fig. 2 andthat it is desired to move the locking bar 9 into the position shown in Fig. 3, the operator grasps the end 18 and pulls the bar toward the right. This disengages the locking portions 14; and 17 and permits the bar to be swung upwardl about its pivot 8, The menu card 19 (Fig. 3) is perforated and inserted over the meme bers 10, after which the bar 9 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 2. The looking bar must be moved toward the right (Figs. 2 and 3) against the tension of the spring 7, both when it is moved into locking and into unlocking positions. The members have been shown as machined out of a solid piece of metal, but this is not the construction that will be followed in quantity production, as it is obvious that the same results can be obtained by forming these members by dies which are cheap er. In the drawing I have shown both of the members 10 as being provided with a countersunk part let for engagement with the conical part 17, and this is the preferred construction. I It w is practicable, however, to .omit this locking feature from the member 10 nearest the pivot 8.

IirFig. 6 I have shown a slightly modified construction in which the member 6, to which @the .rod ,9 is hinged, has no sliding movement on :the hinge pin. Instead of having the bar movable longitudinally of the hinge pin, I make the memberlO tarthest from the pivotr8 movable longitudinally of the hinge pin and provide a spring 7 which corresponds in -function and opera tion tothe spring 7 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and which serves :to move the bifurcated 111 10 on the hin e in. When the bar a g P or rod 9 is in operative position, as shown in Fig. 6, the spring 7 moves the lug 10 against :theconical shoulder 17 and locks thebar in operative position. It is evident that the relationship of the spring 7 and the lug 10 may be reversed if desired, in which case the conical surface 17 will also be reversed with respect to the reduced section of the rod. Such an arrangement would put the bar 9 under a compressive strain instead of under tension, but the result would be the same. In the modification the bar is unlocked by moving the ing '10 on the hinge pin instead of the member 6 as in Figs. 2 and 3.

I want to call particular attention :tow the locking means employed, which comprises a locking barhingedly connected with a member 6, which is slidably .connected to the diingepin and acted upon "bythe spring 7 which tends to move it toward the memher 5 and the locking means, which .is ren- Vdered operative or inoperative at will by imparting-to the bar 9 a longitudinal movement in the'direction of the hinge pin.

Having nowdescribed my invention, what Iclaim as new is:

1. A menu ,card holder comprising two relatively movable side members connected by a hinge having a hinge pin, a member slidably connected to said hinge pin, a bar connected at one end to said slidable member, resilient means for producing ,a force tending to move the locking bar in a direcsliding member, means for holding said bar in a position parallel to the hinge pin, said means comprising amember attached .to the hinge pin, said lastnamed member having a notch for the reception of the hinge pin, and interengaging means on the member and the bar and cooperating with the spring for locking the bar in operative relation to the hinge pin.

3. In a menu card holder, in combination, two hingedly connected sides, a locking bar adapted to secure a menu card in'place between said sides, said bar having one end hingedly connected to the hinge pin by means adapted to move bodily'on the hinge pin and cooperating locking means on the free end of the bar and on the hinge pin.

for holding the bar in operative position.

4:. A hinge comprising, in combination, two relatively movable members, a hinge pin operatively associated with said members, a member slidably connected to the hinge pin, a bar having .one end pivotally connected to the slidable member, said bar having its free end provided with a locking element, and locking means carried by the hinge :pin and adapted to cooperate with the locking element on the bar to :hold the bar in operative vposition, said locking element and locking means being adapted to move relative to each other.

5. A hinge comprising, in combination, two relatively movable members, a hinge pin operativelyassociated with said members, a member slidably connected to the hinge .pin, a bar having one .end pivotally connected .to the slidable member, said bar having its free end provided with a locking element, locking means carried by the hinge pin and adapted to cooperate with the lock ing element on the bar to hold thefbar in operatlve position, said locking element and locking means being adaptedto move relative to each other and resilientmeans for holding the bar in locking engagement with the locking member. p 7 V ;6. A hinge comprising, in" combination, two relatively movable members, a hinge pin operat'ively associated with said members, a member slidably connected to the hinge pin, a bar having onetend pivotally connected to the slidable .member,"said bar having its free end provided with a locking element, locklng means carried by the hinge pin and adapted to cooperate with the look ing element on the bar to hold the bar in operative position, said locking element and locking means being adapted to move relative to each other and resilient means for holding the bar in looking engagement with the locking member, said means comprising a coil spring having one end in engagement with the slidable member.

7 A menu holder comprising hinged cover members, a lug carried by the holder, a rod pivoted to the lug, a plurality of bifurcated projecting members adapted to receive the rod, said rod being longitudinally movable with respect to the projecting member 1, cooperating locking means on the rod and the projecting members, said locking means being adapted to be made operative and inoperative at will by a longitudinal movement of the rod with respect to the projecting members, and a spring carried by the holder and arranged to impart longitudinal stress to the rod for maintaining the same in looking relation with the projections.

8. A menu holder comprising hinged cover members, a lug carried by the holder, a rod pivoted to the lug, a plurality of bifurcated projecting members adapted to receive the rod, the latter being shouldered adjacent the projecting members to form stops, said projecting members being provided with a socket to receive said shouldered portions and means carried by the holder for imparting stress to the rod in a longitudinal direction to maintain the same in locking relation with the projections.

receive the rod, one of the projections being provided with a socket, the rod having a beveled shoulder adapted to engage the socket, and a spring mounted on the pin and acting on the lug to impart stress to the rod in a longitudinal direction to maini tain the same in looking relation with the socket of one of the projecting members.

10. A menu card holder, comprising, in

combination, two relatively movable sides connected by means comprising interengaging hinge members operatively connected by means of a hinge pin, a locking bar adapted to secure a menu card in place between said sides, a member connected at one end with the hinge pin and having its other end connected with the bar, means for holding the bar in parallel relation with the hinge pin, said means comprising a locking member having one end secured to the hinge pin and its other end provided with means for cooperating with supplemental means on the bar to lock the latter in operative position, and meansfor permitting relative movement between the locking member and the bar in the direction of the-axis of the latter, said means comprising a spring that surrounds the hinge pin and has one end in contact with one of the interengaging hinge members and its other end in engagement with one of the members that holds the bar.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature. I

MARY w. BATTLE. U 

